---
name: "mboxgrep"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mboxgrep"
version: "0.7.13-1+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mboxgrep"
---

# mboxgrep(1)

displays email messages matching a pattern

## NAME

mboxgrep - displays email messages matching a pattern

## SYNOPSIS

**mboxgrep** \[*OPTIONS*\] PATTERN \[*MAILBOX*\]

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page refers to **mboxgrep** version **0.7.13**.

**mboxgrep** scans a *MAILBOX* and displays messages matching *PATTERN.*

If a mailbox name is omitted, or a single dash (-) is given instead, it reads from standard input. It can read mbox folders or output from another **mboxgrep** process from standard input.

**mboxgrep** understands POSIX regular expressions, as well as Perl compatible regular expressions (if enabled at compile time). *MAILBOX* can be either a:

- •

  mbox folder (either plain or compressed)

- •

  MH folder

- •

  Gnus nnmh or nnml folder

- •

  qmail-style maildir folder

## OPTIONS

- \-h, --help

  Display a help screen and exit.

- \-V, --version

  Display version and copyright information and exit.

- \-r, --recursive

  Descend into directories recursively.

- \-E, --extended-regexp

  PATTERN is an extended regular expression.  This is default.

- \-G, --basic-regexp

  PATTERN is a basic regular expression.

- \-P, --perl-regexp

  PATTERN is a Perl regular expression.  Works only if enabled at compile time.

- \-e, --regexp=PATTERN

  Use PATTERN as a regular expression.

- \-i, --ignore-case

  Ignore case distinctions.

- \-v, --invert-match

  Select messages which don't match PATTERN.

- \-H, --headers

  Match PATTERN against message headers.

- \-B, --body

  Match PATTERN against message body.

- \-l, --file-lock=METHOD

  Select file locking METHOD.  METHOD is \`fcntl', \`flock', or \`none'.

- \-nl, --no-file-lock

  Do not lock files.  This option is meaningful only if a mbox folder (see below) is scanned.

- \-c, --count

  Suppress normal output and print a count of matching messages.

- \-o, --output=MAILBOX

  Suppress normal output and write messages to destination MAILBOX instead.

- \-p, --pipe=COMMAND

  Pipe each found message to COMMAND

- \-d, --delete

  Suppress normal output and delete selected messages instead.  Use with caution.

- \-nd, --no-duplicates

  Ignore duplicate messages.

- \-m, --mailbox-format=TYPE

  Select input and output mailbox TYPE.  TYPE can be either \`mbox' (default),  \`zmbox' (gzip compressed mbox), \`bz2mbox' (bzip2 compressed mbox), \`mh', \`nnml',  \`nnmh' or \`maildir'.

- \-s, --no-messages

  Suppress most error messages.

- \--debug

  Print messages useful for debugging.

## EXAMPLES

- •

  Search $MAIL for messages from Dirty Harry:

mboxgrep '^From:.\*callahan@sanfranciscopolice\\.org' $MAIL

- •

  Re-mail to George messages that mention his name:

mboxgrep --pipe="/usr/lib/sendmail george" --ignore-case george ~/Mail/\*

- •

  Display all messages contained in folder ~/Mail/incoming, except those that appear to originate from AOL:

mboxgrep -v 'Received:.\*aol\\.com' ~/Mail/incoming

- •

  Do a case-insensitive scan of ~/Mail/incoming for messages with subject \`\`Weekly News'' and write them to folder ~/Mail/archive:

mboxgrep -o ~/Mail/archive -H -i '^Subject: Weekly News' ~/Mail/incoming

- •

  Count all messages stored in folder spam, ignoring duplicates:

mboxgrep -nd -c . spam

## BUGS

Report them to address below.

## SEE ALSO

[grep(1)](/grep/1.md), [regex(7)](/regex/7.md), [perlre(1)](/perlre/1.md), [mbox(5)](/mbox/5.md), RFC 2822, RFC 4155

## DEDICATION

Mboxgrep is dedicated in loving memory of Vicky, my cat who died of tumor on Sep 12, 2002.

You haven't been long with us, but you gave us a lot of joy and all your big heart that stopped ticking too early.  I will never forget you.  Sleep well, little friend.

## HOMEPAGE

https://www.mboxgrep.org/

## GIT

https://git.datatipp.se/dspiljar/mboxgrep

https://github.com/dspiljar/mboxgrep

## AUTHOR

Daniel Spiljar \<dspiljar@datatipp.se\>